the planet's path and the stars,
taking the latter either from his maps or from a convenient list of
stars.[9] My 'Handbook of the Stars' has been constructed to aid the
student in these processes. It must be noticed that old maps are not
suited for the work, because, through precession, the stars are all out
of place as respects R.A. and Dec. Even the Society's maps, constructed
so as to be right for 1830, are beginning to be out of date. But a
matter of 20 or 30 years either way is not important.[10] My Maps,
Handbook and Zodiac-chart have been constructed for the year 1880, so as
to be serviceable for the next fifty years or so.

Next, below the table of the planets, we have a set of vertical
columns. These are, in order, the days of the month, the calendar--in
which are included some astronomical notices, amongst others the
diameter of Saturn on different dates, the hours at which the sun rises
and sets, the sun's right ascension, declination, diameter, and
longitude; then eight columns which do not concern the observer; after
which come the hours at which the moon rises and sets, the moon's age;
and lastly (so far as the observer is concerned) an important column
about Jupiter's system of satellites.

Next, we have, at the foot of the first page, the hours at which the
planets rise, south, and set; and at the foot of the second page we have
the dates of conjunctions, oppositions, and of other phenomena, the
diameters of Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury, and finally a few words
respecting the visibility of these four planets.

After the thirty-six pages assigned to the months follow four (pp.
42-46) in which much important astronomical information is contained;
but the points which most concern our observer are (i.) a small table
showing the appearance of Saturn's rings, and (ii.) a table giving the
hours at which Jupiter's satellites are occulted or eclipsed, re-appear,
&c.

We will now take the planets in the order of their distance from the
sun: we shall see that the information given by the almanac is very
important to the observer.

Mercury is so close to the sun as to be rarely seen with the naked eye,
since he never sets much more than two hours and a few minutes after the
sun, or rises by more than that interval before the sun. It must not be
supposed that at each successive epoch of most favourable appearance
Mercury sets so long after the sun or rises so long before him. It would
occupy too much of